1909-1910 Stamp Shortages
By early 1909 the nearly one million copies of the Medina 1 centavo had been exhausted. Though no official document has been discovered relating to this stamp, tradition holds that local talent was called into play to produce a 1 centavo of the same design and the result was generously descibed by Mr. Toledo as "very bad."
The lack of an official act of governmental genesis has led a gringo catalog to completely discard the "issue." (They appear to have lost such scrupples as they continue listing the 1925 "airmails.") But the many genuine covers found certify that the perf 8, 9, 11.5 or whatever ugly duckling was used in mailing lots of correspondance throughout Honduras.
Validity February, 1909- February, 1911
lithographed at the Litografía Nacional
pin perf, perf 8 through 11.5, imperf
white, thick, glazed wove paper, less commonly on thin, hard paper
remainders - yes, sold along with the Medina remainders meaning the used with verifiable cancels are very unusual.
counterfeits - none seen so far
1910 Common Cancels
New Year's local usage with L cancel
August 1910 mailing with BH81A cancel and L postmark, local usage.
Very early April, 1909 mailing with BH81C cancel and L postmark.
In the final few months of 1910 another shortage developed and 60,000 of the 20c Medina stamps were overprinted with thick ink. 20,000 were overprinted as 1c in black. 20,000 were overprinted as 5c in dark green and 20,000 were overprinted as 10c in red. The overprints were printed with a carved, wooden stamp explaining the variety of shapes and smudges. Sadly, stacks of these were sold as remainders to American stamp dealers. Look for used ones.
1911 Common Cancels
rare partial cover passing through New Orleans December 26, 1910. It bears BH81A cancels and an unidentified postal marking.
Rare cover with surcharged Medinas totaling the current letter rate to the United States.
It passed through New Orleans on December 18, 1910 and bears BH81A cancels and L postmark. The surcharged Medinas were officially in circulation only the last two months of 1910.
The surcharges were slow getting to distant cities. Here is a February, 1911 usage with the newish BH81A cancel and the L postmark.
Even in April, 1911 surcharged Medinas were being posted in San Pedro Sula. Here with the typical BH81A cancel and the L postmark.
-Anderson Collection
-Borcsok Collection of Honduran Provisionals.
-Honduras 1903-1910 Guardiola and Medina Issues in Congress Books by Roger Schnell. August 2006
pps. 149-163.
-Honduras Falls from Grace in Scott Circular, April 15, 1907 #4.
-Honduras Report by Richard Washburn from The Oxcart, winter 1989.
-Honduras Report by Richard Washburn from The Oxcart, spring 1993.
-Honduras Report by Richard Washburn from The Oxcart, summer 1993.
-Honduras Report by Richard Washburn from The Oxcart, spring 1994.
-Stamp Lover Magazine. "Stamps of Honduras" by L.W. Crouch. July 1912 p33.
-Letter from Hugo Greifort to Irving Green. Undated in Anderson Collection.
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